The dilemma of whether to go solo and have that pure, bump-stopped, cafe racer rear-end or whether to consider the need to take a svelte young hottie on the back of your pride'n'joy has sweated many of us at one time or another. Sadly, with custom bikes you don't always get the slip-on/off cowl option, so step-up Michael Mundy & Co at Steel Bent Customs to take such serious matters head on, and to produce one of the first convertible cafe/brat hybrids we've seen.

However, it's not all about the pretty babes, this bike is a bit of a stunner in it's own right. Beginning life as a 1982 Honda CB750 Nighthawk wasn't the greatest start but thanks to the wrenching skills of the SBC crew this bike was destined to become one of the 12-15 bikes that the guys would chose to give a facelift to in 2013.

The plan was to get a little creative, and Michael had his eye on a centrally mounted cat's-arse exhaust outlet to change things up a little. Clearance to the tyre worked out fine, as did the sound once the bike was fired-up, sounding very similar to their more traditional four into one setups. They also wanted to use a mono shock without switching out the rear swing arm. The whole thing fits together seamlessly.

Once the guys had sorted the removable hump to meet the convertible brief, they had their upholsterer give a diamond stitch pattern to the two separate seats and their painter finished off the bodywork in a wet-look gloss black & silver two-tone with a red stripe. The complementary red pod filters & shock spring also add a little class.

Up front they went with a motocross bar set up and added a screen protected headlight for a look they describe as the "urban cafe" - ready to assault the city streets. Neat controls, tiny clocks and a small bar end mirror are in keeping with the SBC minimalist style.

She was purchased by a guy overseas before she was finished and will be shipped out soon. This new bike adds to the Steel Bent Customs' catalog of builds and lets new clients have a few more options when it comes to their own bespoke design. And the final word from Michael: "We have started 3 new builds for clients. We are always booking builds -with 1/2 down, you too can reserve your spot in line." Now, where's that number for my bank manager....?

Photos by Erick Runyon of Choppershotz. See more of Steel bent’s bikes HERE on the bike shed, and here on their own pages.